Dame Cressida Dick was the first woman to take on the role of commissioner
Dame Cressida Dick “felt threatened” to step down as Metropolitan Police commissioner after a decision from Sadiq Khan, an inquest has heard.
He resigned in February when the mayor of London said he had no confidence in his leadership.
Sir Tom Winsor’s report into the process of Dame Cressida’s exit found that Mr Khan did not follow “appropriate procedures” when he withdrew his support.
The mayor said the review was “clearly biased” and “ignored the facts”.
In February, Home Secretary Priti Patel asked Sir Tom – who was the chief constabulary inspector – to look into the circumstances surrounding Dame Cressida’s resignation.
Sir Tom’s published findings found that the mayor’s actions were “not in accordance with the relevant legislation”.
Dame Cressida said the report found that Mr Khan “did not follow proper procedure and at times his behavior was oppressive, unreasonable, completely unacceptable and unfair”.
The former commissioner said he had to resign after Mr Khan made it clear that he had no confidence in his leadership.
It followed cases of sexism and abuse of women among other Met officers.
Dame Cressida, the first woman to lead the UK’s main police force, was also criticized for the murder of Sarah Everard by a Met officer last year, and a string of other tragedies.
Met Police chief Cressida Dick resigns with “sadness and regret”
In his 116-page report, Sir Tom said the mayor had given the commissioner “an ultimatum” to attend a meeting where he would have to convince him of his military plans, otherwise he would release a statement “to make it clear that he was has lost hope and confidence” and would start “legal proceedings” to remove him.
“When the commissioner was not present at the meeting, the mayor’s chief of staff reiterated the mayor’s position and gave him less than an hour to decide what to do.”
He said he was “appalled by this move to step aside”, and “the commissioner felt that, for the sake of the people of London and the Metropolitan Police, he had to step aside”. and resignation letter”.
Worrying messages between officers, mainly based at Charing Cross, were published days before Dame Cressida Dick resigned.
The report found that City Hall gave Dame Cressida 30 minutes to make up her mind.
Mr Tom also noted that hours before Dame Cressida announced her resignation, the conversation between the chief of staff and the Met Police’s director of corporate services was “politically unjustified”.
“For any civil servant – least of all senior and long-serving – to be given less than an hour to decide to resign or challenge the position of mayor was totally unacceptable .”
He described the timeline “imposed” on the commissioner as “objectionable”, adding that “there is no explanation as to why the position of the commissioner must be resolved publicly in such a short period of time “, giving him a little time to talk to others.
“The mayor was completely unable in the interview to explain why he believed he had to make a public statement about the commissioner’s position on the evening of February 10, 2022.”
Watch London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s statement on Cressida Dick’s resignation
Mr Tom said in his opinion the mayor and the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime (Mopac) were “oppressive” and “unreasonable”.
He added: “The pressure to resign was great, and it paid off.
In June – months after Dame Cressida left – the Met was placed on heightened surveillance, in what the home secretary described as “special measures”.
Ms Patel said it was clear to her that the Met Police were failing to get “the basics”.
Analysis
By Daniel Sandford, local columnist
On top of that the criticisms of London mayor Sadiq Khan in this review are very painful.
Sir Tom Winsor says the mayor has “rightfully sacked” the UK’s most senior police officer.
He wrote that his staff were “politically unfair”, that they had set an “irreconcilable” timetable, and that there would be no “justification” for their behaviour. the mayor’s “injustice” or his “oppressive and unreasonable treatment” of Dame Cressida. Dick.
Sadiq Khan has sought to play down the damage the review has done to him by saying Sir Tom has a history of supporting Conservative Party politicians and policies and is “clearly biased”.
It is important to remember that the popularity of Dame Cressida and the power she led was at a very low level in February.
But what is at stake here is whether it is possible for a politician – whether in the same way or for completely reasonable reasons – to eliminate the chief of police by threatening to destroy them in public.
Sir Tom has clearly concluded that Parliament has set procedures and these should be followed. He says that politicians have to pay a high political price for avoiding the process like what happened on February 10.
Responding to Mr. Tom’s report, Mr. Khan said: “During the tenure of the former commissioner, trust in the police was reduced after a series of tragic incidents.
“What happened was simple – I lost hope that the former commissioner would be able to make the necessary changes and chose to stand aside.
“The people of London elected me to hold the Met commissioner to account, and that’s what I did.
“I make no apologies for wanting the best for London and putting the interests of the city I love first. I will continue to work with the new commissioner to reduce crime and restore trust and confidence in the police.”
The Met’s handling of surveillance after Sarah Everard’s murder was widely criticized
The circumstances of Dame Cressida’s departure were similar to that of her predecessor Sir Ian Blair – who resigned as Met commissioner in 2008 when the then mayor, Boris Johnson, said he lost confidence in his leadership.
In a statement Dame Cressida said: “I regret that this report was necessary, but I hope it will help lay a good foundation for my successors.
“I have always wanted to uphold the law and act ethically and ethically, professionally, freely and with confidence.
“I fully respect the need for democratic policing. It is also important for politicians to respect due process and not break the rules.
“I hope this report is an opportunity for others to think about how City Hall works and will be held accountable.”
‘Speak truth to power’
In a statement the Home Office defended Sir Tom’s findings.
A spokeswoman said: “He has never been afraid to speak truth to power and maintains the highest standards of integrity when it comes to reporting the facts.
“He was hired to report on the details of the commissioner’s departure and he did.”
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